Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus.



G. R. SCATTERGOOD & H. A. WALLACE.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

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GEORGE R. SCATTERGOOD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND HERBERT A WALLACE,OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL. COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Original application filed December 14, 1912, Serial No. 736,740.

Serial No. 802,032.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE R. SCATTER- oooo and .HERBERT A. WALLACE, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, and at New York city, in the county of New York-and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Tratlic-Gontrolling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to indication means for railway tratlic controlling apparatus.

The present application is a division of our co-pending application filed December 14, 1912, Serial No. 736,740, for railway traffic controlling apparatus.

The accompanying drawing is a view showing one form of railway trafiic controlling apparatus having associated therewith one form of indication means embodying our invention.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a trafiic controlling device, here shown as being a railway switch, which switch is actuated by a suitable motor M, through the medium of an actuating mechanism F. As here shown, the motor M comprises two solenoids 10 and 11, which control a reciprocating plunger 12, which latter is operatively connected with a plate 37. This plate is provided with a cam'slot 38 which actuates a stud or roller 39 operatively connected with the rails of switch A by means of a rod 40. The cam slot 38 comprises two end portions longitudinally disposed with relation to the direction of movement of the plate 37, and a middle portion disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the plate. It will be seen, therefore, that reciprocation of the plunger 12 will cause reverse movements of the switch A. Operatively connected with the plate 37 is a polechangcr P for a purpose which we will hereinafter explain.

Although we have herein shown and described one particular type of motor device M, and actuating mechanism F, it is understood that we do not limit ourselves tothese particular types, but that any suitable type of motor and switch actuating mechanism may be employed. I

The motor M is controlled by means of a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Divided and this application filed November manually operable circuit controlling lever C, which is usually one of a plurality of similar levers eomprisdd in an interlocking machine. The lever here shown is of a usual and wellknown type comprising a shaft 13 which is adapted to oscillate; this shaft operates a contact finger 13 which makes contacting engagement with stationary contacts 4i and 45 for the control ofthe circuits for the solenoids of motor M. The control circuits for these solenoids are herein shown in dash lines for the purpose of distinction, the indication circuits and the' circuits pertaining thereto being shown in solid lines.

'63 is a suitable source of current, which, as

here shown, is a direct current generator to the terminals of which are connected line wires X and Y. In the arrangement of con trol circuits herein shown, one or the other of the solenoids 10 or 11 is connected with the line wires X and Y, according as contact finger 18 engages with contact 45 or 44. It is understood, however, that this arrangement of control of the motor device M by the lever C is merely illustrative and that we do not wish to limit ourselves to any particular arrangement. The movements of the shaft 13 are as usual controlled by indication apparatus, which, as here shown, comprises two indication devices K and K one for each direction of movement and termed respectively the normal indication device and the reverse indication device. Each of these indication devices, aslhere shown, romprises a segment 27 fixed to the shaft 13 and provided with a dog 28 adapted to engage with a latch 29, which latches are controlled by the armatures of electromagnets N and R respectively. Each magnet N and R is provided with a circuit, which circuits are controlled by an electromagnetic device Q, as hereinafter explained. The circuits for these indication magnets are also controlled by contacts .25 and 2.6 operated by the shaft. 13. These contacts are not moved during the first portion of the movement of the shaft 13 up to the point at which it is stopped by the dog 28 of one or the other of the indication devices,butduring the remainder of the movement of the shaft, the contacts 25 and 20 are reversed in position. This operation of contacts 25 and 26 is accomplished, as here shown, by mounting the contact fingers loosely on the shaft 13 and moving them by pins 31, 32, 33 and 34 carried by disks 35 and 36 fixed on the shaft 13. It is understood, however, that the means herein shown for accomplishing the desired operation of contacts 25 and 26 is merely illustrative, and that we do not limit ourselves to any particular means.

The electromagnetic device Q, as here shown, is a direct current polarized relay having a neutral contact 65 and two polarized armature contacts 66 and 67. The circuits for the indication magnets N and R are controlled by this relay; as here shown, the circuits for both magnets include the neutral contact 65, the circuit for the normal indication magnet N also includes polarized contact 66 and the circuit for the reverse indication'magnet R also includes polarized contact 67. The winding of relay Q is connected. with the line wires X and Y in one direction or the other according as switch A occupies one-extreme position or the other, and is disconnected from the line Wires and placed on short circuit when the switch A occupies an intermediate position. shown, this control of relay Q is effected by pole changer P, the winding of the relay being connected by wires 23 and 24 with the movable fingers 17 and 16 respectively of pole-changer P, and the stationary contacts 48, 49 and 50 of this pole changer being connected with the line wires X and Y by wires 21 and 22. It will be seen, therefore, that when the plate 37 occupies one extreme position of its stroke or the other, that is, when the switch A occupies one extreme position or the other and is locked, relay Qv is connected with line wires X and Y in one direction or the other; when, however,'the plate 37 is intermediate its two extreme positions, the contact fingers 16 and 17 of polechanger Pare in engagement with contacts 46-and 47 respectively which are connected by wire 51, so that relay Q is disconnected from line wires X and Y, and is placed on the following sliortcircu,it-from relay Q through wire 23, contact finger 17, contact 47, wire 51, contact 46, finger 16, wire 24 to relay Q.

In the drawing, the switch is in one extreme position, which we shall herein term the normal position, and the other parts of the apparatus are in the positions corresponding to this position of the switch. lVhen it is desired to move the switch A from its normal position to its opposite position, which we shall term its reverse position, the shaft 13 of control lever C is rotated in the directioii indicated by the arrow until the dog 28 of indication device K engages its latch 29. .In this position the contact finger 18 has been disengaged from contact 44 and has engaged contact As here .67 closes.

45 so that solenoid 10 is energized through the following circuitfrom line wire X through wire 52, contacts 18 and 45, wire 53, solenoid 10, Wires 54 and 55 to line wire Y. This causes solenoid 10 to draw the plunger 12 thereby shifting the plate 37 so that the roller 39 is moved by the cam slot 38 and the switch A is reversed. As soon as this movement begins and while the upper longitudinal portion of the slot 38 is moving past theroller 39, the pole-changer P is operated so that its contact fingers 16 and 17 disengage from stationary contacts 48 and 50 and engage With stationary contacts 46 and 47 thereby disconnecting the winding of relay Q from line wires X and Y and placing it on short circuit, so that contact 65 of this relay is then opened. The fingers 16 and 17 of the pole-changer continue to wipe the contacts 46 and 47 while the switch A is being moved by the inclined portion of the slot 38. When the movement of the switch A is completed and the lower longi-,

tudinal portion of the slot 38 is moving past the roller 39 the contact fingers 16 and 17 are moved to engage with contacts 50 and 49 respectively, thereby connecting the winding of relay Q with the line wires X and Y in the direction opposite to that shown in the drawing, so that contact 65 closes, and contact 66 opens and contact Indication magnet R is then energized through the following circuit-from positive power main X through wire 68, contacts 65 and 67, wire 69, contact 25, wire 58, magnet R, wire 59 to negative power main Y. Magnet R then raises its latch 29 out of the path of dog 28 of indication device KF, so that the movement of shaft 13 can be continued to the end of the stroke. During this last portion of the movement, contact 25 is opened thereby opening the circuit for magnet R, and contact 26 is closed thereby closing at that point the circuit for magnet N.

The operation of the apparatus for the movement of the switch A from the reverse to the normal position would be similar to that just explained, hence, it need not be explained here in detail.

One important feature of our invention is the provision, in the pole-changer P, of the stationary contacts 46 and 47 electrically connected by the conductor 51 for placing the relay Q on short circuit when the plate 37 is intermediate its two extreme positions. This short circuit serves to shunt from the relay any stray or foreign current which might leak into wires) 23 and 24, and therefore prevents false operation of this relay while the switch A is being moved.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In combination, a railway traffic con trolling device, indication apparatus thcre for, electromagnetic means responsive to reversals of current for controlling said apparatus, a source of direct current, and contacts operatively connected with the traffic controlling device for connecting said electroma etic means with the source in one direct on or the other according as the device occupies one extreme position or the other, and for disconnecting said electromagnetic means from the source and placing said means on short circuit when the trafiic controlling device occupies an intermediate position.

2. In combination, a railway trafiic controlling device, a lever for the control thereof, indication apparatus for controlling said lever, electromagnetic means responsive to reversals of current for controlling said indication apparatus, a source of direct current, and contacts operatively connected with the traflic controlling device for connecting said electromagnetic means with the source in one direction or the other according as the device occupies one extreme position or the other, and for disconnecting said electromagnetic means from the source and placing said means on short circuit when the trafiic controllingdevice occupies an intermediate position.

3. In combination, a railway traflic controlling device, means for moving said de vice in opposite directions and locking it in its extreme positions, indication apparatus for said device, electromagnetic means responsive to reversals of current for controlling said indication apparatus, a source of direct current, and contacts controlled by said moving and locking means for connecting said electromagnetic means in one direction or the other with the source according as the traflic controlling device occupies one extreme position or the other and is locked in such position, and for disconnecting said electromagnetic means from the source and placing said means on short circuit when the trafiic controlling device is unlocked and when it occupies an intermediate position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, each in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. SCATTERGOOD. HERBERT A. WALLACE.

Witnesses as to Scattergood:

JACOB BRIGHT, Morons L. KOLB. Witnesses as to Wallace:

M. S. KIRKLAND, R. P. TUTTLE. 

